It Was Only A Kiss
by SydneyAnneVaughn
Summary: My first Alias fanfic ever! Syd&Vaughn, AU, with some spy!stuff
1. Chapter 1

**It Was Only A Kiss  
**  
**by:** Eva Marie Rayne  
**Disclaimer: **All characters are owned by JJ Abrams, so don't sue me.  
**POV:** Sydney/Vaughn (later on)  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Background:** Sydney and Vaughn have been dating for a while, and they plan to spend the rest of their lives together. Irina is gone forever, and there's no Nadia. Jack is the only family Sydney has, and he isn't liking how the relationship is progressing.

----------------------------------------------  
**Chappie #1 – The Beginning**  
----------------------------------------------

" Morning sunshine." my boyfriend, Michael Vaughn, said.

I opened my eyes and looked up at the face in front of me. I looked into those bright green eyes that I'd loved for years. I saw memories of those years and those eyes floating before me, but they stopped when he said my name.

" Sydney, we're gonna be late." he said, kissing my forehead.

He always said we'd be late like no one knew that we always took a morning 'detour' every day before we came in for the day's briefing. In fact, Dixon began starting briefs a little later because he was tired of filling us in on what we'd missed. I smiled when I thought about the chance we might be able to actually tell everyone at the rotunda that we were engaged, married, or having a baby.

After a little more coaxing to get out of bed, I finally got up and dressed. I helped Vaughn with his tie (_as usual_) before giving a quick peck on the lips. He smiled at me in that cute little Vaughn way before ushering me out of the house. We both got in the car and Vaughn drove us to the CIA rotunda.

" Well, I see our two favourite agents are on time for this morning's briefing." Dixon said, smiling.

" I'll go get Marshall and Jack." Weiss said, getting up and leaving the briefing room.

There was something of an awkward pause while Vaughn, Dixon, and I waited for Weiss, Marshall, and my father to return. They came in a few moments later and Vaughn & I took our respective seats as Dixon began to cover the day's mission briefing. Vaughn & I were to observe the trade of a Rambaldi artifact between a rogue diplomat named Jordan Misukano and the Faction, a new terrorist group associated with the Order of Rambaldi. It was a mission to see how the Faction operates with prospective longtime clients. The trade would happen in 2 days, but Dixon had us scheduled to leave 4 hours after briefing was over, in case the Faction's timetable moved up. As always, Marshall went over our Op-Tech, which was amazingly simple for an observation mission: agent to agency comms and a necklace that produced a live video feed. Our aliases were Adrienne and Joshua Fitz - wealthy antique dealers. The trade would happen in a busy antiques market in India. Vaughn & I went home, packed light, and made our way to the airport.

We got on our plane to New Delhi with no problems, and Vaughn & I spent the 25-hour flight in each other's arms, napping and talking about our future. We were like two teenagers in love, talking about fairytale wedding plans and childhood dreams of our futures. After getting off the plane, we were greeted by the beauty of India. Luckily, I packed my sari and couldn't wait to go sightseeing with Vaughn. I called my father to tell him that we'd made it and we were going to pre-scout the marketplace. He warned me to be careful and warned Vaughn to keep me safe. After a few mission specs were discussed, we said our goodbyes and hung up.

" What was that all about?" Vaughn asked.

" That was my dad reminding me of everything Dixon already told us. And he said to keep me safe." I replied. He kissed my cheek.

" You know I would never let anything happen to you." he said with a smile.

" Yeah. I know." I said with an equally bright smile, while adjusting my dark wig.

I suddenly got an idea and a catlike grin spread across my face. I noticed Vaughn was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at me inquisitively.

"What?" he asked.

"Oh...nothing..." I said, slowly moving to straddle him.

He put his arms low around my wrist and I saw that hungry, passionate look in his eyes. We loved free time in alias because it was almost like being with someone else. Vaughn reached up to run a hand through my wig hair and pulled in for a deep kiss. Tongues wrestled and darted about before Vaughn broke to kiss my neck.

"You know, it has been awhile since we..." I trailed off.

"Way ahead of you." Vaughn said matter-of-factly.

A long while later, Vaughn & I were getting dressed and I was adjusting my wig again. I finished pulling my sari together and kissed him on the cheek.

"Come on, we've gotta go scout." I said, heading toward the door.

He did the last few buttons on his shirt and followed me out. We walked through the marketplace arm in arm, making mental notes of possible exit strategies and giving Marshall physical descriptions of the area as a companion to the live video feed. We walked past stands full of antiques - some priceless and some fake, women in beautiful saris (much like the one I was wearing), and no diplomats or Faction members. After 45 minutes of walking around and observing everything in the marketplace that could be seen, we ended our pre-scouting mission and went back to the safehouse. We 'detoured' twice before deciding to go to a restaurant a few miles away. I was still dressed ion my blue sari and Vaughn had on black pants and a white dress shirt. After all, we were trying our hardest to not look like tourists. We had a great dinner, just talking about the beauty of India and how glad we were to be there. Then we decided to see the Ganges River (_since we had nothing else to do for the rest of the evening_).

"It's beautiful." I said, looking out into the water.

"It is, but I think you're even more beautiful." Vaughn said, wrapping his arms around me.

I smiled as he kissed my neck. I frowned when he withdrew his arms, but I had a feeling I would be smiling again very soon. I turned to see what made him pull away and he got down on one knee. I was astonished.

"Sydney, I've loved you from the very moment I saw you. And after all this time, I've realised that there's absolutely no one else in the world I wanna be with but you. Will you spend the rest of your life with me as my wife?" he said.

I began to cry. "Ohmygod. Yes!" I squeaked through my joyful tears.

He pulled out a box with a gorgeous diamond ring and slipped it on my finger. I hugged and kissed him like there was no tomorrow.

"I love you so much." I said, kissing him.

The next day, we had to go back and scout the marketplace again for the diplomat or anyone suspicious. After another 45-minute long scouting while describing any changes to Marshall, Vaughn & I retired to the safe house for the first 'detour' of our engagement. As I lay there wrapped up in his arms, I realised how perfect this moment felt.


	2. Chapter 2

----------------------------------------------  
**Chappie #2 – Another psycho**  
----------------------------------------------

I loved him so much that I was almost crying over the day's events. This was the man I knew I was going to marry from the moment I saw him. My first visit to the CIA wasn't for any good or happy reasons and he knew that. But SD-6 had been taken down already and we had already done the "massive ass-kicking," as Weiss put it.

"What are you thinking about baby?" Vaughn asked, taking note of the far away look in my eyes.

"Stuff." I replied.

"Like...?" he trailed off, waiting for me to reveal what was running through my mind.

"Like the first time we met, how cute you are when you smile, and how much you worry about me. Sometimes I think that forehead wrinkle just makes me love you more." I replied, kissing his bare chest.

"I worry about you on ops a lot, especially when I can't go with you. It kills me when I can't be there to comfort you, congratulate you, and just be with you." he admitted.

"Why do you think I complete my ops quickly and come home early?" I said, smiling.

"I'm not sure, but I know I'm the luckiest man in the world to have you." he said, matching my smile before leaning in to kiss me.

I wrapped my arms around his torso and pulled him on top of me. Our kiss broke and I looked into Vaughn's beautiful green eyes. Sometimes I just wish I could get lost in those eyes forever; just there with him, seeing into his soul.

"One more before we go to sleep..." I said as he began kissing down my neck to my chest.

After rattling the walls some, we both decided to rest up for the next day's observation op.

The next morning, we woke up bright and early for the op. The trade was rumoured to take place around 1:00pm near the back of the marketplace. We learned that the diplomat was from North Korea and had been searching far & wide to bring forth Rambaldi's endgame.

" Joy. Another psycho." I said, rolling my eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

----------------------------------------------  
**Chappie #3 – I'm Alright**  
----------------------------------------------

"It'll be alright." Vaughn said, reassuring me.

I always wondered how he could do that so easily. Someone could tell me that I was about to die and if Vaughn told me that everything was going to be alright then, by God, I believed him. He was just the one constant thing in my life. He was my rock, my one piece of solid ground in a crumbling world. He brought me back to earth by reminding me that we would miss the trade if we didn't leave.

We got to the marketplace about a half hour before the trade was said to take place. The Korean diplomat was nowhere in sight, but Vaughn and I kept a close eye on the back area of the market. About 20 minutes later, Mr. Misukano arrived, looking for his Faction contact. A very young, blonde man showed up a few moments later.

"Syd, you've gotta get closer. I can't see anything." Marshall said over my com.

I moved a few stands over, looking for an excuse to fix my eyes on the two men at the back of the marketplace. I tried to fiddle with my necklace so it would face the trade area, but I found that nothing seemed to work very well.

"Base ops, I'm going to try to get closer." I said into my com.

"Copy Mountaineer; be careful. Boyscout, keep an eye out in case you're needed as backup." Dixon said.

"Copy that." Vaughn replied.

I was about 5 feet from the trade when the Rambaldi cube was passed from Misukano to the unknown man, obviously a member of the Faction. As soon as the cube was handed over, the Faction member pulled out a gun and shot Misukano twice in the chest. He turned toward me for a moment and a sickening feeling of deja vu floated over me.

"Oh God, it's Sark." I said.


	4. Chapter 4

----------------------------------------------  
**Chappie #4 – Our Orders Were…**  
----------------------------------------------

"Base ops, I'm going after the shooter." I said, drawing my gun.

"No! Wait!" Vaughn yelled after me.

"Mountaineer! Hold your position! Your cover will be blown if you go after him." Dixon commanded through my com.

I peeked around the corner and shot at the fleeing Sark, but I missed. I was about to run after him when Vaughn grabbed my arm.

"What are you doing!" I yelled.

"Keeping you from doing something stupid." Vaughn replied.

"For God's sake, it was Sark! We could've finally taken him into custody and gotten some answers!" I yelled, ripping my arm from his grip.

"But then you would've been going against orders and you would've asked me to help save you from Dixon!" he yelled back.

"A month or two in the mailroom at Langley would be worth it to see that bastard back in a federal cell." I replied, walking away.

"Base ops, this is Boyscout. We're on our way back to the safehouse." Vaughn said into his com.

"Copy Boyscout. I expect the two of you back here and in my office by noon tomorrow." Dixon replied.

"Crap." Vaughn whispered under his breath.

There was complete silence as Vaughn & I packed, until he decided to speak.

"Syd, I don't get why you're so mad about this. Our orders were-"

I cut him off.

"Screw our orders! We could've caught Sark in the act and taken him into CIA custody." I said.

"You know what? I don't wanna talk about it anymore." Vaughn sighed, "Dixon wants to see us in his office as soon as we get back. We should be thinking about what to say to him."

Vaughn & I spent the 25-hour flight back to LA trying to reconcile.

"Vaughn, I'm sorry for snapping at you before. I don't know what came over me." I said. Vaughn nodded.

"I understand, but you can't let your emotions get the better of you on ops." he replied.

"Ssh. No more talk about ops. It's about time we start talking about wedding plans." I said, smiling.

"Of course." Vaughn smiled.

We spent the rest of the flight back cuddling and talking about wedding plans.

Upon our arrival in Los Angeles, Vaughn & I dropped off our luggage at home and proceeded to the CIA rotunda. Dixon saw us come in and motioned us to join him in his office. I looked to Vaughn for courage, and he mouthed 'I love you.' It wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, but it would work. We walked into Dixon's office and prepared ourselves for the worst.

"Agent Bristow, before I begin, do you have anything to say for yourself?" Dixon asked, trying to remain calm.

"I won't make excuses for my actions, but I ask that you not punish Vaughn for what I did." I said.

"Thank you for not making excuses, Agent Bristow. As for Agent Vaughn, he's here because he was your partner on this op." Dixon replied. Vaughn looked relieved, but took my hand for support.

"Now I must say that I am very displeased that you broke protocol and nearly put you and your partner in grave danger. The Faction is a new terrorist organization; we can't risk losing any information we can gain access to. Sydney, I'm keeping an eye on you. If you break protocol again, you will be restricted from field ops as long as I see fit." Dixon said.

"Yes sir." I replied, lowering my head.

"You're both dismissed." Dixon said.

Vaughn & I walked out of Dixon's office breathing a sigh of relief. Suddenly, I had a thought.

"Vaughn, how are we gonna tell everyone about this?" I said, holding up my left hand. Vaughn pulled my hand down & took it in his.

"The more important question I wondered was, how are gonna tell your father?" Vaughn asked.

"Oh, what fun we have before us..." I said, rolling my eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

----------------------------------------------  
**Chappie #5** **– Welcome Back**  
----------------------------------------------

We didn't have to wait long to find out how my father would react, because he popped out of his office to welcome me back.

"Good job in India, Sydney. It's good to have you back." he said.

I put my arms out to hug him and his demeanor suddenly changed. He hugged me back, but withdrew quickly.

"Sydney, can we talk in my office?" he asked.

"Sure. What about?" I asked, looking to Vaughn.

"Nothing important." my father replied.

"Alright. Vaughn, I'll meet you in debrief as soon as I'm done." I said, giving him a look that said 'he knows.' Vaughn nodded and I joined my father in his office.

"What is it Dad?" I asked innocently.

"What is this about!" he asked angrily, grabbing my left hand.

"It's a ring Dad. What are you so upset about?" I asked, nearly shouting.

"Because Michael Vaughn asked you to marry him without consulting me first! If someone like him is going to take away my only daughter, he should at least ask me about it!" he shouted.

"Just like Danny - who you rejected - right! I always knew you never thought anyone was good enough for me! Well you know what? You won't get the last word this time. I love Vaughn and he loves me. That's that and this conversation is over!" I yelled, fighting back tears as I walked toward the door.

"Sydney, wait-" he started.

"No Dad. We're not discussing this anymore. I will marry Michael Vaughn, whether you approve or not." I said, walking out of his office.

I noticed Vaughn was still standing right where I left him as tears began to stream down my face. He saw me and immediately rushed over, taking me in his arms.

"Ssh. Syd, it'll be alright." he said, rubbing little circles on my back. He saw Dixon walking toward his office and pulled away from me.

"Hey, why don't I go talk to Dixon and see if he'll let us go home after debrief? Does that sound good?" he asked. I nodded.

"Okay. I'll be right back." he said, kissing my forehead.

"I think I'll go talk to Carrie while you talk to Dixon." I said.

"Okay. I'll come get you as soon as I'm done." he replied, walking toward Dixon's office. I decided to go to Marshall's office to see if I could find Carrie.

--------------------------------  
**_VAUGHN'S POV_**  
--------------------------------

_Damn Jack for being so hard on her. Doesn't he see how he tears her up inside?_ I thought angrily.

I knew that Jack Bristow had a particular dislike for me, but why did he have to be this way to Sydney? That never made any sense to me. I mulled over the concept a little more before walking into Dixon's office.

"Agent Vaughn, what can I help you with?" he asked.

"Sydney's not feeling well, so I wondered if you would let us go home after debrief so I can look after her." I said.

"I see no problem with that. Since that encounter with Sark in India, she has seemed a little worn out." he replied.

"She just hasn't been feeling herself lately." I explained.

"It would seem that way. Well, I'll see the two of you in debriefing in 15 minutes." he said.

"Thanks." I responded, turning to leave.

"Agent Vaughn?" Dixon said, catching my attention.

"Yes?" I asked as I turned back to face him.

"Congratulations." he replied. I looked at him, puzzled.

"How did you-?" I began.

"It's not every day you have such a glow and an overly caring attitude towards a fellow female agent after the mysterious presence of a ring on your left hand." he said with a smile.

"Thanks." I said smiling.

"Give my best to Sydney, and make sure you're both on time for debriefing." Dixon said. I nodded and left to go find Sydney.

--------------------------------------------  
**_Meanwhile...SYDNEY'S POV_**  
--------------------------------------------

I walked into Marshall's office and saw him teaching Carrie how to use one of his latest gadgets.

"Hey Marshall." I said, making my presence known.

"Oh, hey Syd. What's up?" he asked.

"Well, I'd hate to break up your tutoring session, but do you mind if I borrow Carrie for a little while?" I asked sweetly.

"Sure Sydney. Marshall honey, I'll be back later." Carrie replied, taking my hand and leading me away.


	6. Chapter 6

----------------------------------------------  
**Chappie #6 – Where'd This Diamond Come From?**  
----------------------------------------------

_Last time...Sydney & Carrie were having a conversation..._

"So tell me what happened. And I don't mean the op because that doesn't really matter to me anyway." Carrie said. I looked at her oddly and she picked up my left hand.

"I know exactly where this diamond came from, so don't try to say you don't know what I'm talking about. Michael proposed, didn't he? I want all the details!" she said excitedly.

Suddenly, the conversation turned into something from Grease - minus the singing and dancing, of course.

"Okay Carrie, slow down. Yes, he proposed." I said.

"Oh my gosh! When? Where? How? Tell me!" she said desperately.

"It happened in India, the day before the mission. We were overlooking the Ganges River. He dropped on one knee, told me he loved me, said he couldn't live without me, and asked be to be his wife." I replied.

"Oh my gosh! Do you think you could get Michael to talk to Marshall? I mean, as much as I love him, Marshall really lacks in the 'surprisingly debonair' category." Carrie said.

Marshall's lacking really didn't surprise me because even though he & Carrie were highschool sweethearts, Marshall wasn't the greatest at romance.

"Yeah. Vaughn went to ask Dixon if we can leave after debrief. I think I should reward him for being so good these past few weeks." I said with a sly grin.

" Well, I'd hate to drag you from 'Sex-Him-Up Land,' but what had you all red and puffy earlier?" she asked.

"My dad found out about the engagement and now he's pissed. He said that Vaughn wasn't good enough for me. I just think he's afraid of me getting married since his marriage failed so miserably. But whatever. I told him I was marrying Vaughn no matter what and I left." I said, trying hard not to replay the earlier events so I wouldn't cry again.

"Aww honey...Your dad's just worried because he's been the only long-term man in your life. Plus, he's a man. They never take the presence of another man very easily." she said, trying to cheer me up. The sound of footsteps came near and I sighed again.

"It's probably my dad, back for round 2." I said, rolling my eyes. To my surprise, my wonderful fiancée poked his head around the corner.

"Hey beautiful." he said.

"Hey sweetheart." I replied, kissing him.

"I'm gonna leave you two to your time together. Besides, Marshall probably needs the help of a female mind about now." Carrie said, as Marshall's yell of 'Darn it' was heard across the rotunda. I giggled.

"Thanks Carrie." I said as she went of to Marshall's office. "So..."

"Dixon said we could go after debrief." he said, looking at his watch, "Which is right now, so we should go." I smiled.

"Anything for you..." I said sweetly.

After a very short debrief, we were on our way home.

"What do you wanna do with all our free time?" Vaughn asked, breaking the silence.

"Well, I have an idea..." I said, grinning.

Once we arrived at home, I set my file case on the couch and walked to the bedroom. Vaughn followed, but I closed the door.

"Syd, let me in." he said, knocking lightly on the door.

"Hold on baby. I've gotta change. I'll just be a few minutes." I said through the door. I heard him sigh and walk back to the livingroom.

_I'll surely make it up to him._ I thought. A few minutes later, I had changed into something more comfortable.

"Vaughn, honey, can you come help me with something?" I asked loudly.

"Sure thing." he said.

I heard him come back up the hall and turn the doorknob. He opened the door and stopped to gather his breath. I was standing next to the bed in my favourite black lace lingerie. He slid his arms low around my waist and kissed me passionately. When we broke for air, I grabbed his tie and gently tugged him to the bed. Clothes were shed and we succumbed to the throes of passion.

We had fallen asleep in each other's arms awhile later, when I awoke to the most beautiful pair of green eyes ever.

"Hi." I said, still half asleep.

"Hey." Vaughn said, kissing my forehead.

I lay there, taking in this beautiful scene I was in when a glint of light caught my eye. I looked down to notice that it was my engagement ring catching the sunlight from the half-open blinds. I was so wrapped up in this perfect moment that I couldn't hold myself together any longer, and a few tears gently fell down my face. I was laying in bed in the arms of the man I've loved forever, and I was going to be his wife. He swept his thumb across my cheek to collect my tears before giving me a gentle kiss.

" What's wrong baby?" he asked.

" Nothing. It's just that I - I finally have everything I could want, and it's even more perfect than I could imagine." I replied.

" What did you want?" he asked with a smile.

" You." I said, smiling back at him. He kissed me gently again.

" I love you Syd." he said.

" I love you too Vaughn." I replied.


	7. Chapter 7

----------------------------------------------  
**Chappie #7 – I Need You**  
----------------------------------------------

That night, Vaughn wanted to take me to dinner.

"Syd, I want you to put on something as beautiful as you are because I'm going to take you out somewhere really fancy." He said.

He gave me a peck on the lips and I went to find the perfect dress to wear. I rummaged through my closet until I found a sleek, black halter dress with white butterfly detailing on the bottom. I paired it with a silver butterfly necklace and my favourite black strappy heels. I went to the livingroom and saw Vaughn sitting on the couch in one of his famous suits. He promptly stood up when I entered the room.

"Wow." He said, "You look absolutely beautiful." I smiled.

"You don't look so bad yourself, Mister Vaughn." I replied. He smiled back and gave me a sweet kiss.

I never noticed it before, but when he kisses me, it feels like I'm floating on air; like I'm weightless and floating gently through the clouds. In fact, I think I once saw heaven while he was kissing me. What can I say? He's a great kisser.

Vaughn kindly opened the door for me and led me out. He opened the car door for me and helped me in before getting in himself, and we were off to wherever this mystery place was.

About 30 minutes later, we pulled up to a beautiful restaurant called The Rose Garden. The building had an old Victorian look to it and there were vines crawling up the outside walls, along with small clusters of rosebushes. Vaughn got out, and ran around the car to open my door for me. He helped me out and slid his arm around my waist as we walked into the restaurant.

"Tableau pour deux." He told the maitre'd, and he led us to a table in the back.

"Queest-ce que je peux vous obtenir pour boire?" the waiter asked with a heavy French accent. ("What can I get you to drink?") I looked at Vaughn.

"Une bouteille de votre champagne plus fin." He replied. The waiter nodded and gave us our menus before walking away. I looked at the French writing before I looked inquisitively at Vaughn.

"What is it?" he asked imploringly.

"I failed French in high school." I said, laughing.

"You want me to order?" he asked.

"Please." I said. He smiled.

"What?" I asked.

"You failed French? That's kind of hard to believe from the girl that knows Spanish, Russian, and German, among many others." He said.

"Madame Scheffield said I could never quite get the fluidity and romance of French." I replied, "." ("But I think I can get by well enough with my Russian.")

"I think you've got the romance down pretty well." Vaughn said, grinning, "And your Russian isn't that bad either."

The waiter broke up our language discussion to bring us a bottle of champagne and 2 glasses. He then asked for our order, in French of course. Vaughn responded with a jumble of French words and the waiter nodded and walked away.

"What exactly did all that mean?" I asked with a puzzled look on my face,

"I ordered us both chicken parmesan." He replied. I nodded contently and entwined my hands with his over the table.

"How did I manage to have a wonderful fiancée that knows the languages I don't?" I asked with a smile.

"I suppose you just got lucky." He replied, kissing my right hand.

"I suppose I did." I said. I leaned over the table and kissed him.

"Are you trying to seduce me Miss Bristow?" He asked playfully.

"Until I'm not Miss Bristow anymore." I replied with a smile. He smiled at the thought aswell.

The waiter interrupted us once again to bring us 2 plates of chicken parmesan.

"Bon appetite." He said.

"Merci." Vaughn and I said simultaneously. He looked at me suspiciously.

"I thought you didn't know French." He said.

"No. J'ai dit que j'ai échoué le français. Two completely different things." I responded matter-of-factly. ("I said I failed French.") He smiled and we both ate our dinner.

Afterward, he took me took me to a nearby beach. We took off our shoes and walked along hand-in-hand, talking about our future.

"Vaughn?" I said.

"What is it honey?" he asked.

"I always wanted to know why you asked me to marry you. I mean, out of anyone you could've chosen, why me?" I asked.

"There wasn't anyone else I could've chosen. Once you walked into my life 5 years ago, I knew there was no one else in the world for me but you. I knew you were the woman that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with." He replied.

"Really?"

"Absolutely. I knew from that very moment that you were the woman of my dreams and I had to snap you up before I didn't have the chance."

"Aww. I love you." I said.

"I love you too." He said, smiling, "But I have a question for you too. What made you say yes when I asked you to marry me?"

"That's an easy one." I said, "I knew from the moment I walked into your office and saw the way you cared about me that you were the one for me. The guys long past in my life never cared as much about me as you." I replied.

He smiled again and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. I turned to face him and leaned in to kiss him, and he kissed me back passionately. He lowered his arms to my waist and I wrapped mine around his neck. We stood there, liplocked until we both had to come up for air.

"Wanna go home?" I asked.

"Of course." He replied. I smiled and we walked back to the car.

He opened my door and helped me in once again, before getting in himself. Once we got in, he entwined his hand with mine and kissed my cheek. I smiled at his touch and drifted off into a daydream during the ride home. I was brought out of my daydream by the song on the radio that seemed to echo my feelings for the amazing man next to me.

_I don't need a lot of things_  
_I can get by with nothing_  
_With all the blessings life can bring_  
_I've always needed something_  
_But I've got all I want when it comes to lovin' you_  
_You're my only reason; you're my only truth_

_I need you like water, like breath, like rain_  
_I need you like mercy from Heaven's gate_  
_There's a freedom in your arms that carries me through_  
_I need you_

_You're the hope that moves me_  
_To courage again (oh yeah)_  
_You're the love that rescues me_  
_When the cold winds rage_  
_And it's so amazin' 'cause that's just how you are_  
_And I can't turn back now_  
_'Cause you've brought me too far_

_I need you like water, like breath, like rain_  
_I need you like mercy from Heaven's gate_  
_There's a freedom in your arms that carries me through_  
_I need you_  
_Oh, yes I do_

_I need you like water, like breath, like rain_  
_I need you like mercy from Heaven's gate,_  
_There's a freedom in your arms, yeah, that carries me through_  
_I need you_

_Oh, yes I do_  
_I need you_  
_I need you…_

_**-- "I Need You" by LeAnn Rimes --**_

I began to sing along, and Vaughn looked at me, smiling.

"I think this should be our song." I suggested.

"I like it." He said, "Who's it by?"

"I think they said it was LeAnn Rimes." I replied, "But I think it's perfect."

"I think you're perfect." He said.

"Even though I failed French?" I asked jokingly.

"Yes. Even thought you failed French, you're still my perfect woman." He replied. I smiled at that, thinking that I wasn't the perfect one, he was.


	8. Chapter 8

----------------------------------------------  
**Chappie #8 – Go To The Doctor**  
----------------------------------------------

Vaughn & I took the next 3 days off to plan our wedding. We decided to have a small ceremony at the pier we spent so much time at earlier in our relationship. I got fitted for my wedding dress, and we were planning how to tell everyone that didn't already know about everything. Vaughn asked Eric to be his best man, and I asked Carrie to be my maid of honour. The ceremony would happen on October 1st – the 6-year anniversary of mine & Vaughn's first meeting –, which was in 4 months. My father still wasn't very happy about the arrangement, but he agreed to give me away. I secretly hoped my mother would come, but I hadn't heard from her in 3 years, so that was a feeble hope. Everything was going wonderfully, until one morning 2 months before the wedding. I shot up out of bed at about 5:30am and ran to the toilet to throw up. I apparently woke Vaughn, because once I lifted my head from the porcelain bowl, he was there with a damp washtowel and a scrunchie.

"Thanks." I said.

"That's 3 days in a row, Syd. I think you should go to the doctor." Vaughn replied, concerned.

"I'll be alright, I just need some time to r—" my sentence was interrupted as I had to throw up again.

"Sydney…" Vaughn said.

"Alright, fine. I'll call the doctor before we leave for work." I replied. Vaughn seemed content with that until I had to throw up again.

I threw up about 5 more times before finally calling my doctor at 9:00am. She said she could fit me in at 3:00pm, and I reluctantly agreed.

"When are you going?" Vaughn asked as soon as I hung up the phone.

"3:00pm. Will you go with me?" I asked.

"Of course. I'll talk to Dixon." He replied.

"Thanks. But whatever you do, don't let any of this get around to my father. He worries too much and instantly assumes the worst." I said.

"I wouldn't _dream_ of letting your father know I have a death wish." Vaughn replied jokingly.

"You'd just better hope Dixon doesn't tell him. He's been practicing his sharp shooting an awful lot lately…" I said, laughing. Vaughn stopped and smiled nervously.

"Oh, get over yourself. I'm sure it's nothing. Probably a stomach bug or something." I said, grabbing jacket and following Vaughn out the door.

The day went by with business as usual. Things weren't very bad in the world at that point, so Vaughn & I were free to visit Dr. Parks at 3:00pm as planned. Joy.

Vaughn drove me to the doctor's office and I went to sign in.

"Can I help you?" the nurse behind the counter asked.

"I'm Sydney Bristow. I'm here for a 3:00pm appointment with Dr. Parks." I said.

"Sign in here and the doctor will be with you shortly." She replied, closing the glass window. I wrote my name on the list and went to sit with Vaughn.

"Did I ever mention that I hate doctor's offices?" I said nervously.

"You always said you hated hospitals." Vaughn replied.

"Well then, let me change that – I hate medical facilities in general. And I almost hate _you_ for making me come here." I retorted. Vaughn took my hand and squeezed it lightly.

"You'll be alright. Remember, I'm here and I'd never let anything bad happen to you." He said with a smile. I smiled back and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"You're wonderful, you know that?" I said.

"Sydney Bristow?" a nurse called. I stood and Vaughn still held my hand as we walked back to see Dr. Parks.

"Good afternoon Sydney." Dr. Parks said.

"Afternoon." I replied.

"And who is this that you've brought along with you?" she asked.

"This is my fiancée, Michael Vaughn." I responded, smiling.

"Really? How long before the wedding?" she asked.

"Two months." Vaughn replied.

"That's good." She said, "Now Sydney, what seems to be the matter?"

"I've been feeling a little weak the past few days, and I've been throwing up a lot. It's mostly really early in the morning though." I replied.

"When was your last period?" she asked. I really had to think about that one.

"About 2 months ago, I think." I replied. Suddenly, the gravity of the situation hit me like a bus.

"Any soreness is your breasts?" Dr. Parks asked.

"A little. It's steadily been getting worse over the last 2 days." I said.

"Any extra stress over the last few months?"

"No. Life couldn't be better."

"Well, your symptoms sound very familiar to pregnancy, but there are a few more tests that should be done before I make any diagnoses." She said, "If you'd like, we can test a urine sample to get more conclusive results."

"Anything." I replied.

"Alright then, I think you know the drill." The doctor said, handing me a small plastic cup.

I did as I was told, and returned the sample to Dr. Parks. She told me that it would be about 20 minutes before any results were given, so I happily waited, squeezing Vaughn's hand the entire time.

20 minutes later, Dr. Parks emerged with my medical chart.

"I think I have good news." She said, pausing, "The test came back positive. You're going to be a mother."

I gasped and nearly fainted. Pregnant – now! I was going to be a mom in about 8 months. I was going to be a pregnant bride. I was going to be 4 months pregnant when I came back from my honeymoon.

"Oh my god." I said.

"Congratulations Sydney." Dr. Parks said, "You should talk to the nurse up front about scheduling another appointment in December."

"Of course." I replied. Vaughn took my hand and led me out of the doctor's office. I scheduled another appointment for December 15th and left for home.


	9. Chapter 9

----------------------------------------------  
**Chappie #9 – Lunch Says It All**  
----------------------------------------------

Vaughn had his hand entwined with mine the entire ride home. We were both silent, obviously deep in thought over what this meant. This meant that we were going to have a family a lot sooner than expected. I would most likely have to retire from being a field agent so I could stay home with my baby. Wait, our baby. This is our baby. It's going to be me, Vaughn, and this little baby. Of course, it wouldn't be a baby forever. This baby would grow up to be a mama's boy or a daddy's girl. This baby would take care of us when we couldn't care for ourselves anymore. This baby will cover the refrigerator with colouring book pictures, drawings of our family, spelling tests, and report cards. This baby will be in the pictures we show to everyone we meet. This baby is half me and half Vaughn. This baby is more than I could ever dream of. For 5 long years, I've wanted this whole thing, and now I was finally getting it all at once. It was almost too much to take.

"Vaughn?" I said, snapping out of my reverie.

"What?" he asked.

"Do you think it's a boy or a girl?"

"I think it's a little too early to be taking bets on that." He replied.

"I know, but if you could pick, would you want it to be a boy or a girl?" I asked.

"Every man says he wants a boy to carry on his family legacy, but I actually hope it's a girl. I've always wanted a little princess to love and spoil rotten." He said with a smile.

"What about me?" I asked with mock disappointment.

"You're my beautiful queen that I get to love and spoil for the rest of my life." He said. I lay my head on his shoulder and sighed contentedly.

That night, I awoke to my stomach doing flip-flops. I carefully slid out of Vaughn's arms so I didn't wake him, and I ran to the toilet for the 11th day in a row; Or was it the 12th? I'd lost count by then. As always, Vaughn was by my side by the time I finished the first two bows to the porcelain gods. I always felt guilty for waking him with my morning sickness, but he never seemed to mind. He always sat by my side, holding my hair back and offering me a damp washtowel to wipe my face with. No matter how bad my mood swings were, he still took me in his arms, kissed my forehead, and told me everything would be alright. It comforted me to know that no matter what happened, I would have the next 9 months with him always by my side.

After about 2 weeks of knowing about my expectancy, I couldn't hold in my excitement. I was already starting to show a little, and there was no way in the world I could keep it to myself. I saw Carrie one day at work and couldn't resist.

"Carrie, you won't believe the wonderful news I have!" I said.

"Ohmygosh, you're not!" she replied.

"I am!" I said excitedly.

"We must talk about this over lunch. Meet me here at 12:30." She said.

"Of course." I said.

I loved being able to talk to Carrie about this stuff. We'd been best friends since high school, and I knew that if there was no one else in the world I could trust, I could still trust Carrie. She was the first one I told about my engagement, and she was the first person to sit around my apartment with me and share girly talk with me about Vaughn when I first fell for him.

Right at that moment, my dad rounded the corner. I gulped.

"Hello Sydney." He said.

"Hey Dad. What's up?" I asked innocently.

"Nothing." He said, looking at me oddly.

"If it's nothing then why are you looking at me like I have toilet paper stuck to my shoe?" I asked.

"It's really nothing. I just thought you looked like you'd gained a little bit of weight." He replied, still eyeing me suspiciously.

"Oh yeah. I've been skipping my morning runs lately. With all this wedding stuff, it just adds more stress to have to worry about going running at 6:00am. In fact, I barely have time to do my afternoon runs." I said.

"Okay then. It just worried me." He said.

"Don't be worried. I'm fine. I'm getting married in a little over a month and life couldn't be better." I replied.

"Alright. Well, I've got a lot of work ahead of me, so I should get back to that." He said.

"Of course. I'll see you later." I said, smiling. He gave his trademark half-smirk and walked back to his office. Not even a minute later, I felt the strong arms of my fiancée slide around my waist.

"Morning Mr. Vaughn." I said.

"Good morning my beautiful soon-to-be Mrs. Vaughn." He replied cheerily.

"Someone's in a good mood." I said.

"J'ai eu une dernière nuit rêveuse merveilleuse au sujet du bébé." He said. ("I had a wonderful dream last night about the baby.") We both decided that if we had to talk about my pregnancy, we would speak in French – which was not a decision I came to easily.

"Really? I wonder what that was all about." I responded, turning to face him.

"Can we talk about it over lunch?" he asked.

"How about dinner? Carrie m'a déjà demandé que pour déjeuner aujourd'hui ainsi nous pourrions parler du bébé." I replied. ("Carrie already asked me to lunch today so we could talk about the baby.") He frowned slightly.

"Well, I guess I'll have lunch with Eric today. I don't know what I'll do with my hour away from you." He said.

"You'll talk to Eric about guy stuff. You'll totally forget about me and talk about hockey and he'll ask if you know anyone he can take as a date to the wedding." I replied with a smile.

"Well, I'm sure we'll talk about guy stuff but I know I won't be able to forget about you for 5 minutes, let alone an hour." He said.

Just then, my Dad walked across the main room of the rotunda, apparently on his way to speak with Dixon. Vaughn gulped.

"Why are you so afraid of my dad?" I asked.

"Puisque je sais que s'il découvrait jamais au sujet du bébé, je ne vivrais jamais pour voir mon propre mariage." He replied. ("Because I know that if he ever found out about the baby, I'd never live to see my own wedding.")

"Well, besides his unflinching efforts to keep me safe and my honor intact, he's not as bad as he seems." I said.

"Let's hope for my sake that you're right."

At 12:30, I met Carrie and we went to Las Palmas for lunch.

"Okay, you absolutely must tell me everything!" she said excitedly.

"I went to the doctor 2 weeks ago, and I found out that I'm now almost 3 months pregnant." I replied.

"That's so exciting! What'd your dad think of that?"

"He has no clue and he won't know until I'm the size of a Greyhound bus." I said, "But Vaughn can't wait. We're both hoping for a little girl."

"That's so cute! Have you thought of any names yet?" Carrie prodded.

"Well, I thought of Amy or Leslie if it's a girl, and James or Chad if it's a boy." I replied.

"What about Carrie? I mean, Carrie Ann Vaughn sounds pretty good to me…" she said.

"No Ann or Anne. It's already bad enough that my parents were so unoriginal to give me Anne as a middle name. I wouldn't wish that kind of ordinary on anyone. But there was a girl's name that I always wanted to name my daughter…" I said, thinking back to my younger days. I spent an entire week planning my future wedding and coming up with outlandish names for my future children.

"Well, spill it!" Carrie said, intrigued.

"I always wanted to name my daughter Syrina Lynn. I guess I wanted to have a child with a name similar to my mother's." I replied.

"Aww. Syrina Lynn Vaughn. That sounds beautiful." She said.

"Yeah. But Vaughn & I haven't even started considering names. We're just too caught up in the fact that I'm pregnant." I responded.

"Well, in any case, I think it's a lovely name and I think Vaughn might like it too." She replied. I smiled and wondered how I would approach the subject with Vaughn.


	10. Chapter 10

----------------------------------------------  
**Chappie #10 – I'll Always Bring You Flowers**  
----------------------------------------------

After a long discussion of baby names with Carrie at lunch, I went back to the rotunda. I returned to my desk to see a vase with a dozen light pink roses sitting on it, along with a small light brown teddy bear with a bow around its neck that matched the colour of the roses. I found a small envelope sitting on my chair, and I opened it to read the note inside.

_Hey there beautiful!_

_I told you that I couldn't go an entire hour without thinking of you. I love you and I can't wait to marry you. You're the greatest woman I've ever met and I know you'll be the best mother in the world. And did I mention I love you? You deserve the world and I will spend the rest of my life trying my hardest to give it to you. I love you my soon-to-be Mrs. Vaughn, and I love my soon-to-be baby girl. So turn around and let me show you how much you mean to me._

_Love,  
Vaughn _

I was completely speechless. I admired the roses for a moment before realizing that the last line of the note said to turn around, so I did. Vaughn was standing behind me with another larger bouquet of pink roses.

"Oh my god, Vaughn." Was all I could say. Everyone slowly gathered around behind Vaughn, and I could see Carrie completely swooning.

"You mean the world to me, Syd. I love you so much, and I had a revelation while I was out with Weiss: I realised that I left everyone out when I should've told them how I felt about you. Everyone here is like family to you, and to me, and so there's something I have to do again, but this time I'm doing it like I should have." He said. He turned to my father, who had just stepped out of his office to see what all the commotion was about.

"Mr. Bristow," Vaughn said, addressing my father, "I'd like to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage and I would appreciate it more than you know if I could have your blessing." I saw my father's expression turn from an inquisitive nature to a slightly annoyed one, so I shot him a pleading look.

"Agent Vaughn, despite my past feelings about you, this display has shown me that you truly do love my daughter and so I give you my blessing to marry her." He replied. I was overjoyed.

"Tellement maintenant Sydney, me ferez-vous l'honneur d'être mon épouse et me laissant passer chaque jour avec vous pour le reste de ma vie?" Vaughn asked. ("So now Sydney, will you do me the honor of being my wife and letting me spend every day with you for the rest of my life?") I started to cry.

"Of course!" I replied joyfully. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a tight embrace. My father, seeing that the commotion was over, turned to walk back to his office.

"Jack, wait." Vaughn said. I quickly looked at Vaughn with a shocked expression. What else would he need my father around for?

"There's something else that I haven't told you – or anyone else for that matter…" he began. My father looked at him, annoyed.

"Vaughn, no. Now isn't the time for this." I pleaded.

"Syd, now is the right time for this. I'm tired of trying to hide everything. It's time that we tell your father the good news." He said with a fearless smile. I nodded, bracing myself for what was about to be said.

"Jack, I wanted to be the first to tell you that Sydney & I are going to have a baby." Vaughn said. My father's face contorted into a twist of rage, and I knew Vaughn would regret telling him about my pregnancy.

"WHAT!" my father boomed. Everyone else slowly backed away.

"Dad, I'm pregnant." I said, squeezing Vaughn's hand. We were in this together, and there was no way I'd let my future husband throw himself to the wolves.

"I cannot believe what I'm hearing. You've done some crazy things in your life, Sydney, but this one most certainly wins first prize!" my dad said in absolute disbelief.

"Dad, need I remind you of some of the crazy things you've done in _your_ life? I think being pregnant 4 months before my wedding isn't that bad compared to some of the things you've done!" I said defensively, "And for you to be this way in front of my friends – the only family I've known? That's low, even for you!" I couldn't hold in my tears.

"Sydney, I know I've done some terrible things in my life, but those were my mistakes. I swore the day I found out I was going to have a daughter that I would keep you safe and protect you from those that would set your life off course." He replied.

"You'd protect me from those who'd set my life off course? So you think that keeping me in the dark about the truth behind SD-6 and Arvin Sloane for 7 years was protecting me! You think that you can risk my life and the life of my friends, and then whine because I fell in love with someone that wasn't who you wanted me to be with!" I yelled angrily, my body shaking.

"I've tried for the past 5 years to put the past behind me and to be the perfect daughter, but I'm not going to sacrifice my relationship with the man I love just to please you! You finally made me realise why I was right to resent you for all those years. In fact, I don't need your blessing or your presence at my wedding. As far as I'm concerned, my father is dead to me." I spat angrily.

My father just gave me an angry look, and disappeared back to his office. My knees buckled, and I slid into a heap on the floor. Vaughn wrapped his arms around me and tried his best to wipe away the tears that were streaming down my face. Carrie brought me a box of tissues, and Dixon rubbed my back and assured me that everything would be okay. Vaughn gave Dixon a pleading look and Dixon nodded. Vaughn picked me up and carried me out with Carrie following behind, her hands full with the roses and the teddy bear. Vaughn helped me into the car, and I was still sobbing the entire way home.


	11. Chapter 11

----------------------------------------------  
**Chappie #11 – Everything's Perfect**  
----------------------------------------------

After a long, tear-filled drive we finally arrived home. Vaughn helped me out of the car and led me to the door, before opening it and helping me inside.

"Do you need anything?" he asked, concerned.

"No, I'll be alright. I think I'll go take a bath and maybe go to sleep." I replied.

"Alright. Do whatever you need. It's been a rough day for you, and I don't want any more stress put on you or the baby." He said. I smiled weakly at his caring nature.

"Okay. I love you honey." I said.

"I love you too Syd." He replied.

He brought in my filecase, my flowers, and my teddy bear and I went to take a long, hot bubble bath. The heat of the water stung my skin slightly as I got in, but it soon faded and I began to relax. I thought about the past few days and how my life had become such a whirlwind of emotions. I was going to be married in a little over a month, I was going to have a baby in about 6 months, and worst of all, my father wouldn't be any part of that. I couldn't believe the way he reacted, but at the same time, it was the Jack Bristow I'd grown to know so well. He was always the near portrait of stoicism. He never showed any of his emotions, except his anger. I wanted to believe that he loved me like a daughter, and I knew somewhere in his heart he did, but he treated me more like an inferior than anything. Dixon was always more of a father to me than my own.

But then I thought how Vaughn must feel. Here I am, throwing a fit about how horrible _my_ father is, and he doesn't have a father _or_ a mother. I knew it hurt him deep inside, but that was one thing he never talked about. He could talk about anything else in the world, no matter how terrible it made him feel, but he never spoke of his parents. I found out from my father about a year ago that they both died in some freak house fire, but never anything more than that.

My thoughts then drifted to my slightly protruding belly. I thought about what our baby would look like. I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that it would be a little girl. She'd have long brown hair, my chin, and Vaughn's eyes. She'd be our little princess and she'd be daddy's little girl. She'd be our beautiful little Syrina Lynn, or Amy, or Leslie and we would love her so much. I smiled and felt tears start to dampen my eyes. I quickly wiped them away with a pruny hand and opened the bathtub drain. I wrapped a towel around myself and stepped out of the tub when I heard a light knock at the door.

"Syd? Are you alright?" I heard Vaughn ask through the door. I opened the door and saw his worried face. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tight.

"Everything's perfect." I said, smiling.

For the rest of the afternoon, Vaughn & I were curled up on the couch in each other's arms, talking about what to name the baby.

"I like Shannon." He said.

"Shannon Vaughn? Nah." I replied.

"You're right. It doesn't flow very well, does it?" he asked.

"Not really. How about Amy Renee?"

"Amy Renee Vaughn? It's possible. What about Lynn?" His suggestion reminded me of my dream name.

"How about Syrina Lynn Vaughn?" I asked. He smiled.

"I love it." He replied. He kissed me sweetly.

"You know, we should have a backup name in case it's a boy." I said.

"That one's easy. Michael Jr." he replied.

"Or we could go fancy and he'd be Michael Chase Vaughn II." I replied.

"I think Mike Jr. works just fine." He said with a laugh.

"I think it's great." I said, laying my head on his shoulder.

"I think you're great." He replied.

"What happened to me being perfect?" I asked, remembering our last dinner date.

"You're great and wonderful and perfect and you're my beautiful queen that I will spend the rest of my life with. Does that work?" He said.

"Spending the rest of my life with you was plenty, but the rest of it didn't hurt." I replied with a smile.

"Speaking of the rest of my life, do you think your dad's gonna kill me when we go back to work tomorrow?" he asked.

"He'll try and fail miserably, I'm sure. He usually can't stand me being this mad at him for long." I responded.

"Then I guess we'll be living a long and happy life together. But you're not mad at me for telling him about the baby, are you?"

"Of course not. I think it was better that we told him instead of him seeing my huge belly." I replied.

"Then I guess everything worked out perfectly." He said.

"It's Wednesday, why wouldn't it?" I asked sarcastically.


	12. Chapter 12

----------------------------------------------  
**Chappie#12 – Crazy For This Girl**  
----------------------------------------------

Over the next 2 weeks, life was getting crazier then ever. I had a wedding to look forward to, and I was still throwing up life crazy every morning. My father and I still hadn't spoken since his little fit, and I'd already asked Dixon to give me away since I didn't have any other family to do so. I came home from another fitting for my wedding dress, and I noticed the bedroom door was cracked open and Vaughn was singing.

_She rolls the window down_  
_And she talks over the sound_  
_Of the cars that pass us by_  
_And I don't know why_  
_But she's changed my mind_

_Would you look at her as she looks at me_  
_She's got me thinkin' about her constantly_  
_But she don't know how I feel_  
_And as she carries on without a doubt_  
_I wonder if she's figured it out_  
_I'm crazy for this girl_  
_Yeah, I'm crazy for this girl_

_She was the one to hold me _  
_The night the sky fell down_  
_And what was I thinkin' when_  
_The world didn't end_  
_Why didn't I know what I know now_

_Would you look at her as she looks at me_  
_She's got me thinkin' about her constantly_  
_But she don't know how I feel_  
_And as she carries on without a doubt_  
_I wonder if she's figured it out_  
_I'm crazy for this girl_  
_Yeah, I'm crazy for this girl_

_And right now_  
_Face to face, all my fears_  
_Pushed aside and right now_  
_I'm ready to spend_  
_The rest of my life with you_

_Would you look at her as she looks at me_  
_She's got me thinkin' about her constantly_  
_But she don't know how I feel_  
_And as she carries on without a doubt_  
_I wonder if she's figured it out_  
_I'm crazy for this girl_  
_I'm crazy for this girl_

_Would you look at her as she looks at me_  
_She's got me thinkin' about her constantly_  
_But she don't know how I feel_  
_And as she carries on without a doubt_  
_I wonder if she's figured out_  
_I'm crazy for this girl_  
_Yeah, I'm crazy for this girl_

_**-- "Crazy For This Girl" by Evan & Jaron --**_

I couldn't help but smile because I knew who he was singing about. In fact, he looked into the full-length mirror, and smiled when he saw me standing in the doorway. Once the song was finished, he turned off the CD player and came to the doorway before wrapping me up in his arms and kissing my forehead.

"That song was beautiful." I said.

"It reminds me of you." He replied.

"I noticed." I said, kissing him softly. I smiled and basked in his embrace.

At that very moment, Vaughn's phone rang. It was Weiss.

"Hey Eric, what's goin on?" Vaughn greeted.

"Nothing much. Listen, I need your input on your bachelor party." Weiss replied.

"No strippers." Vaughn replied immediately.

"Yeah, yeah. I figured that much already. Besides, you don't get a stripper when you've got a pregnant Syd at home. She'd kill me."

"Okay, so what do you need my help with?"

"When are you getting here? I need to know a timeframe so I can get everything ready."

"I thought you were figuring that out on your own and telling me."

"Well, I know you hate surprises, so name an hour and I'll be ready by then."

"9:00 sound good?"

"Sounds great."

"Eric."

"What?"

"No strippers."

"I know. Like I said, I fear the wrath of Syd. She's pregnant, which means she's got twice the rage capacity than she used to. And she definitely could take me before. Trust me, there will be no strippers, exotic dancers, or any women for that matter."

"Good thing. Because if Syd didn't kill you, I would." Vaughn replied sarcastically.

"I had that thought too. Anyway, I'll see you Saturday night at 9:00"

"Alright. Later man."

"Later." Vaughn hung up.

"Planning your last night of freedom?" I asked.

"Something like that." He replied, smiling.

"Syd?"

"What is it honey?" I asked.

"I know I'm overstepping here, but shouldn't you at least call your father once before the wedding to try to at least make civility?" he pleaded.

"No. Absolutely not. If he wants to treat me like a child, then I'm not bothering. I'm 29, and it's about time he realised that I'm a grown woman and I'm in love with a wonderful man that I'm marrying in a week. Until he gets over himself and apologizes for his amazing display, I'm not going to speak to him." I replied.

"Well, I suppose that if you don't want to, then I won't try to change your mind. But really, you're his only child, and I'm sure it's killing him on some level to miss out on the happiest day of your life." Vaughn said. He had a good point, but I refused to let him know that.


	13. Chapter 13

----------------------------------------------  
**Chappie #13 – I Still Stand By My Principles**  
----------------------------------------------

A few days later, I finally cornered my father so we could straighten things out. The wedding was in 3 days, and I at least wanted us to be speaking before I became Mrs. Vaughn. I asked him to meet me at the warehouse because I had some important information that I needed to share with him.

I was waiting inside, hoping he didn't see through my ploy. He came in a few minutes later, and I stood firmly in front of him.

"What is it that you felt so important to share with me?" he asked immediately.

"Hi to you too Dad." I said.

"Hello. And since you're calling me Dad, I think this has something to do with what happened a few weeks ago." He replied.

"Yes, Dad, it does." I began, "Look, I'm sorry for yelling at you the way I did, but you know I had good reason to. I've loved Vaughn for quite some time now, and your reaction to my pregnancy was completely uncalled for." He nodded.

"I may have overreacted slightly, but I still stand by my principles. I'm disappointed that you're pregnant before your wedding. It may not seem to you like my place to say that, but I see it as my place because I'm the one who's spent most of his life trying to protect you from things like this." He said, pointing at my belly.

"It's not your job to protect me from my life. I knew that this could happen, but I love Michael and I know I'm going to spend the rest of my life with him. Dad, he's the only man I've ever loved this much. I didn't feel half as much for Danny as I do for Vaughn." I replied.

"I've seen that, but I still can't be a part of this. It goes against everything I staked my life on. You have my blessing that you have a beautiful wedding, and that your marriage is everything you dreamed of, but I can't be there to witness something like that." He said. A few tears streamed down my face.

"I understand." I said simply, walking out.

My own father wasn't going to be at my wedding. I know I'd planned for this the moment I told him off, but the realization that my father wouldn't be giving my hand to the man I love was cutting at me more than I thought it would.

I spent the last days of the week working and trying not to think about what was taking place on Sunday. I strained to pay attention to briefings and do my paperwork, but it was a lot harder than I imagined.

Finally, Saturday night came. Carrie had been planning my bachelor party since I told her about my engagement, so I knew I was going to have fun on my last of being an unmarried woman.

We went to Sceptre, a local dance club, and partied the night away. Carrie tracked down Nancy, Elizabeth, and Sarah – a few friends from high school – and she invited Will's sister Amy, as well as many of our female coworkers.

I knew Vaughn was having as much fun because Weiss told me their plans the previous day. They were going to a club across town and partying & drinking the night away. I told Weiss to make sure that Michael didn't have too much to drink, because I refused to marry Michael if he had a hangover.

Lucky me, I wasn't allowed to drink because of the 3-month old fetus growing inside me, and Carrie made absolute sure of that. We all spent the night in a local hotel, because Carrie said it was bad luck for me to see Vaughn the night before the wedding. Despite Carrie hiding my cell phone, I found it anyway and called Vaughn. It was 11:30pm and he was still at the club with the guys.

"Hello?" he yelled over the loud music in the background.

"Vaughn, it's me." I said loudly.

"Syd? Hold on a sec." He said. I heard the music soften, so he must've gone outside for a moment.

"Hi." I said.

"Hey Syd. Having fun?" he asked.

"Of course. We're at the hotel already; we decided to call it an early night."

"Yeah. I think Eric & I are gonna head out in about 30 minutes."

"Okay. Anyway, I think I hear Carrie coming so I'd better go before she steals my phone from me again."

"Alright. I love you and I'll see you tomorrow."

"I love you too and I can't wait. I don't know how I'm gonna sleep tonight."

"Me either."

"Oh well. I'll just have to imagine you snuggled up beside me so I can make it through the night."

"I think I might have to do the same."

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow baby. I love you. Goodnight."

"Goodnight. Sweet dreams, and I can't wait to see you in your dress."

"Bye."

"Bye." I hung up the phone and sighed. I would have to make it through an entire night without him.

The next morning, Carrie woke me up bright and early so we could get ready. The ceremony was starting at 2:00pm and it was already 10:00am. That gave everyone 4 hours to get everything ready. It took about 2 hours for me to get my hair done, makeup done, and my dress & veil put on. All my bridesmaids were ready in another hour, and we were all ready to go. I suspected that all the guys were already finished, so it was just a matter of taking the last hour to get over my nervousness, and to get the guests seated.

The ceremony began at exactly 2:00pm on the dot. An arch was set up about 3 feet from the end of the pier, and everyone was seated in the chairs that had been set up earlier in the morning.

Carrie & Weiss walked first, followed by Nancy & Marshall, and Amy & Will. I heard the wedding march begin, and the butterflies that had earlier vacated my stomach came fluttering back. This was it. I was about to get married. I almost asked Dixon to pinch me, but I decided that a tiny red mark on my shoulder wasn't worth the realization that this wasn't a dream.

Dixon took my arm and I walked up the pier toward an eager Vaughn. I made it to the arch in a minute or so and saw Vaughn's smiling face.

"Who gives this woman to be married?" the priest asked.

"I do, with the blessing of her father and her mother, god rest her soul." Dixon replied, resting my hand in Vaughn's.

The ceremony seemed to go on forever, but I knew that every minute that passed was a minute closer to eternal happiness. After about 15 minutes of preaching from scriptures, the priest asked for the rings. He placed Vaughn's in my hand, and mine in Vaughn's.

"Now Sydney, turn to Michael, place the ring on his left hand, and announce your vows before God and this congregation." The priest said. I placed the ring on Vaughn's hand and said the words I'd been planning to say for 5 years.

"Vaughn, I've loved you since the moment I walked into your office. I know I probably looked rather unbecoming in my red wig and bruised face, but I saw in your eyes how much you cared for me, even though you'd just met me. Over the years, I saw that caring grow even stronger, and as I'm standing here, I see it growing even more. You've given me everything I've ever wanted, and there is no other way I can say how much I love you but to put this ring on your finger and be yours forever. Je t'aime." I said.

"And now Michael, turn to Sydney, place the ring in her left hand, and announce your vows before God and this congregation." The priest said. Vaughn slipped the ring on my finger and I saw tears beginning to fill his eyes as he spoke.

"Sydney, I've loved you since the moment you came into my office 5 years ago. There was just something special about you that made me so protective about you. You were the most beautiful woman I'd ever met, and you smiled even after what you'd been through. I always admired your strength and courage, and I knew from that moment on that I would make it my life's mission to have you as my wife. And now as I stand here today, my life's mission has changed from making you my wife to making you as happy as you make me. I wanna wake up to you every morning and I wanna be there for you always. Je t'aime." He said. Tears began to stream down my face as well as a few others'.

"And now, in the name of the father, the son, and the holy spirit, in the presence of God and his witnesses, I pronounce you man and wife. Michael, you may now kiss your bride." The priest said.

I smiled and Vaughn pulled me in for the most romantic kiss of my life. We came up for air after a moment, both smiling at the realization that we were really married.

"And now may I present Mr. And Mrs. Michael Vaughn." The priest said. Everyone stood and clapped as Vaughn pulled me in for another kiss.

We walked hand in hand back down the aisle, and into the waiting limousine that was taking us to our reception.

We had our reception at The Rose Garden, which if you don't remember, was where we had our first date after Vaughn proposed. We danced our first dance as husband and wife to "I Need You" by LeAnn Rimes, and we danced and partied the night away before retiring to our hotel room in Santa Barbara for the next week.


	14. Chapter 14

----------------------------------------------  
**Chappie #14 – The End**  
----------------------------------------------

"So we spent our first week together as husband & wife in Santa Barbara, where Vaughn always wanted to take me. It was so beautiful." I said, "And then 5 months later, there was my little Syrina Lynn." Vaughn smiled.

I was sitting on the floor in the livingroom with Vaughn, and our 2 kids: Syrina Lynn, and Michael Chase Jr. I was telling them the story of how their father & I had met and how they got here.

"So the new baby's in your tummy just like me & Mikey were?" Syrina asked, pointing at my large belly.

"Yes Syrina. Your little sister Kayleigh is in my tummy right now, and before you know it, she'll be sitting right here with us." I replied with a smile.

Syrina was 5, Michael Jr. was 3, and I was 7 months pregnant with another girl that Vaughn & I were naming Kayleigh Amber Vaughn.

"So you knew Daddy for 5 whole years before you married him?" Mikey asked.

"Yes sweetie. Because if I hadn't waited, we wouldn't have you & your sister." I replied.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Because your Mommy and I said that we weren't gonna have any kids, but we changed our minds later on." Vaughn replied, taking me in his arms. I smiled and kissed him.

"Ewwwwww! They're kissing!" Syrina yelled.

"Oh shush Syrina. You'll be married one day and then your kids will be saying the same thing." I said.

"Nuh uh! Boys have cooties!" Syrina replied. I laughed.

"I was just like you when I was little. But when you get older, you'll realise that boys don't really have cooties. You'll fall in love someday, just like mommy." I said, kissing her forehead.

"In any case, it's about time for you munchkins to go to bed." Vaughn said, peeking at the clock.

"But Daddy! What about how I got here?" Mikey asked.

"I'll tell you that story tomorrow." Vaughn replied.

"Awwww, rats." Mikey said.

"You'll survive. Now both of you, go brush your teeth and get ready for bedtime." I said. Syrina and Mikey did as they were told and went to their rooms to get in their pajamas.

"You know, I never thought I would spend an entire evening telling our kids about our past." Vaughn said.

"But they're always so inquisitive. Besides, we'd tell them sooner or later. And I like telling them when they're young because it instills in them that they'll fall in love someday." I replied.

"And then they'll tell their kids about how they met." He said.

"And the cycle will continue forever." I responded, kissing him.

"I love you Syd." He said.

"I love you too honey. And I can't wait to have little Kayleigh." I said.

"Yeah. Up all night, here we come." Vaughn replied sarcastically.

"Oh come on, you know you love it. And besides, that means you get another little princess to spoil." I responded.

"Yeah. So I get 2 princesses, my little guy, and my beautiful queen that I get to spoil for the rest of my life. I guess I'm okay with that." He said with a smile.

"I thought so." I replied, kissing him. He gave me one last hug before helping me up off the floor so we could tuck Syrina and Mikey in.

**--The End--**


End file.
